Combined paper cutter and letter opener



Au fi, 1923.; 1,463,786 R. L. BALDWIN COMBINED PAPER C UTTER AND LETTER OPENER Filed Jan. 27 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 fi :3 3 x I g v// w .23 E X? 5 a a ,r

WITNESE:

ATTO RN EV Aug. 7, 1923.

R; L. BALDWIN COMBINED PAPER CUTTER AND LETTER OPENER Filed Jail. 27

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESS:

IYNVENTOR MTTO RNEY Patented Aug. Ti, 1923.

ROBERT L. BALID'WIN, 0F CANON CITY, COLORADO.

Application filed January 27, 1922. Serial No. 532,299.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT L. BALDWIN, a citizen 0]": the United States,residing at Canon City, in the county of Fremont and State of Colorado, have invented new and useful Improvements in Combined Paper Gutters and Letter Openers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to paper cutters and has for its object the provision of a novel device including a shear member adapted for cutting paper, the device being also furthermore adapted for use as a letter opener whereby the edge of an envelope may be sheared off without any danger of cutting or otherwise injuring the contents.

An important object is the provision of a device of this character which is provided with guides engageable by the edge of the letter to be opened so as to insure the cutting oii of an extremely small strip at the edge of the envelope, the guides being furtherinore spring pressed and engageable by the movable shear blade so that they will serve the added function of holding the shear blade to the cutting bar or shear bar which is rigidly secured to the base member.

Another object is the provision of a de vice of this character in which the envelope guides are swung out of the way when the device is to be used for cutting paper in the ordinary manner. I

A still further object is the provision of a device of this character having a novel mounting for the movable shear blade, this mounting being so constructed as to prevent any looseness at the pivot point.

Anadditional object is the provision of a device of this character whichwill be simple and inexpensive in manufacture, easy touse highly eihcient in service, durable and a general improvement in the art.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view, the invention consists in the detalls or" construction to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of my device.

so mounted that they may be.

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view.

Figure at is a cross sectional view, and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view showing one of the letter guidesas swung to inoperative position.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, i have shown my device as comprising a preferably rectangular shaped base 10, which might be formed of wood or solid metal or which might preferably be formed as a metal stamping. This base 10 is provided on its underside with longitudinal flanges 11 and transverse flanges 12 which reinforce the base and which might be formed integrally therewith or which might be formed as strips secured thereto. Secured upon one edge of the base and coextensive therewitn is a metallic shear bar 13 which is simply an elongated strip of metal.

Secured upon one end of the base is an Lshaped bracket 1& with which is pivotally associated the shear which includes a blade 15 having a suitable handle 16 at one end and provided at its other end with a hole 17. The pivotal connection between the blade and the bracket consists of a stud 18 carrying a cam like head 19 cooperating with a cam projection 20 on the blade. A coil spring 21 surrounds the stud 18 and engages against the, bracket and the head 19 for the purpose of holding the blade resiliently against the shear bar'13. The free end or" the stud 18 passes through the hole 17 in the blade, and is threaded for engagement thereon of a wing nut 22 which is adjustable whereby to vary the spring tension. The device thus far described constitutes simply a paper cutter as will be understood.

The important feature of my invention lies in the provision of guide means whereby the device is adapted "for use in opening letters. in carrying out this feature of my invention, I provide a pair of rods 23 which extend transversely of the bottom of the base and which pass through the longitudi .nal flanges 11 thereof as clearly shown. I also provide brackets 24 depending from. the center of the base for the purpose of supporting these rods 23. Secured upon the ends of the rods 23 adjacent the shear bar 13 are normally upwardly extending curved gages 25 which engage against the outer surface of the shear bar 13 and which have their upper ends extending above the top surface of the base as clearly shown in Figure 4. The opposite ends of the rods 23 are provided with winged heads 25, adapted to be grasped by the fingers whereby to turn the rods 23 to bring the gages 25 either into operative or inoperative position, and intermediate their ends the rods 23 carry coiled springs 26 which have one end passing through holes 27 in. the rods and which have their outer ends engaging against thebrackets 24. The purpose of these springs 26 is to hold the gages 25 resiliently and yet firmly against the outer surface of the shear bar 13.

The operation of the device is as follows:

When the device is to be used simply as a paper cutter, the operator grasps the wing heads 25 and turns the rods 23 so that the gages 25 will not project above the top surface of the base but will lie merely against the shear bar 13 as shown by dotted lines in Figure 5. The gages 25 will then not be in obstructing relation to any paper placed upon the base to be cut and will also be in non-obstructing relation to the blade 15. The paper to be cut is of course placed upon the base 10 with the edge to be cut off projecting beyond the shear bar 13, after which the operator grasps the handle 16 and moves the blade 15 downwardly so that the latter will cooperate with the shear bar 13 for severing the paper.

When the device is to be used as a letter opener, the operator grasps the wing heads 25 and turns the rods 23 so that the gages 25 will be disposed in upright position projecting above the top surface of the base and bearing against the outer surface of the shear bar 13 as clearly disclosed in Figure 2 of the drawings. The letter to be opened is then placed upon the base with one edge engaging against the gages 25 after which the cutter blade is operated in the same manner as in cutting paper as above described. Owing to the outward curve at the upper ends of the gages 25 it will be apparent that the envelope will project a very slight distance beyond the shear bar 13 so that when the blade 15 is moved down the blade will remove the edge of the envelope, but will clip lower ends of the gages are curved outwardly there will be provided ample space for permitting the clippings to drop off or to be disposed within the lower ends of the gages until such time as it may be desired to remove the clippings.

From the foregoing description and a study of the drawings, it will be apparent that I have thus provided a simply constructed and consequently inexpensive device which is readily adapted for use in cutting paper and the like, and which is also capable of use as a very efficient envelope opener without in any way injuring the contents of the envelope or cutting the enclosure. It is also to be noted that I have provided a novel takeup means for insuring tightness at the joint of the cutting blade so that the blade will, always have a proper cutting action when brought into cooperative relation to the shear bar.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is of course to be understood that I reserve the right to make such changes in the form, construction and arrangement of parts as will not depart from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: I

1. A device of the character described comprising a base, a shear bar secured upon one edge of said base, a cutting blade pivoted at one end with respect to the base and cooperating with said shear bar, a pair of supporting rods extending transversely of the base at the underside thereof, handles on said rods whereby to effect partial rotation thereof, and gage fingers carried by the 3 other end of said rods and adapted to extend above the upper surface of the base in engagement with the outer surface of the shear bar, said rods being rotatable whereby to bring said gage fingers into position lying along the shear bar in non-obstructing rela- 1011 to paper placed upon the top of the ass.

2. A device of the character described comprising a rectangular base member, a shear bar secured upon one edge thereof, an L-shaped bracket secured upon one end of the base, a threaded stud passing through said bracket and formed with a head, a cam member disposed upon said stud, a spring encircling said stud and engaging against said head and said cam member, a blade provided at one end with a handle and having its other end formed with a hole pivotally engaged upon said stud, a cam extension on said blade cooperating with said cam member, and a wing nut threaded on the stud and engaging the blade.

3. A device of the character described comprising a rectangular base member, a shear bar secured upon one edge thereof, a

pivoted blade cooperating With said shear ends extending above the upper surface of bar whereby to effect cutting action, a pair the base, and coiled springs connected with of rods journaled transversely of the underand encircling said rods whereby to re- 1 side of the base and provided at one end siliently hold said gage members against the 5 with heads, curved fingers carried by the shear bar.

other ends of said rods and engaging against In testimony whereof I affix my signature. the outer side of the shear bar With their ROBERT-L. BALDWIN. 

